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WEEK ON WEEK 14%
Rowan Cope joins Profile Books as publisher
Rowan Cope above, currently at Duckworth Books, will join Profile Books in the new role of publisher, and become a member of the executive team. Cope will take up the post on 29th January
2024, reporting to managing director Rebecca Gray. The editorial teams across the company’s imprints—Profile, Serpent’s Tail, Souvenir and Viper—will all report to Cope. Cope, who joined Duckworth Books as
publisher in August 2021, started her career in agenting at DGA, before moving into editorial at Little, Brown, Scribner, Faber & Faber, Penguin Press and Granta. Gray said: “Rowan stands out as someone
who understands the breadth of the publishing landscape, and really gets what being independent is all about. She’s clever, funny and thoughtful, and you can see her drive and focus in her achievements at Duckworth. I’m so excited to have her leadership for our brilliant editors.”
Book of the Week
Weekly TCM
FutureBook Q&A
L J Ross Author & publisher Rights deal
Bluebird seals deal for winter wonder Bluebird has snapped up How to Winter: Harnessing Your Mindset to Embrace All Seasons of Life, the “ultimate guide to thriving during the colder, darker winter months”, from health psychologist Kari Leibowitz above. UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, were acquired by former publisher Carole Tonkinson from Carrie Plitt at Felicity Bryan Associates on behalf of Zoë Pagnamenta, now at Calligraph, in a “heated” seven-way auction.
TheBookseller.com Rights deal
Granta picks up books by Enriquez Granta has scooped books by Mariana Enriquez above, author of the International Booker Prize-shortlisted The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (Granta). Associate publishing director Jason Arthur acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, in a new story collection, a novel and a non-fiction title from María Lynch at Casanovas & Lynch. A Sunny Place for Shady People, the collection of stories, will be published on 19th September 2024.
Tatsuki Fujimoto Chainsaw Man Vol 12 Viz, £7.99, 9781974740581 The biggest 2023 comics event has been the 26th October English-language release of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s 12th Chainsaw Man title. The manga shifted just over 2,500 copies through Nielsen BookScan at launch; no other adult comic has sold more than 1,200 units in a seven-day period this year. Fujimoto is in a purple patch: the first three Chainsaw Man titles are this year’s first, third and seventh bestselling graphic novels through the Total Consumer Market. His all-time BookScan sales are £2.1m, 45% of which have been generated in the past 12 months.
Data The bestseller charts 14
1 Your talk is called “Publishing with
Positivity”. What does that mean to you? To me, “Publishing with Positivity” means approaching the ever- evolving world of publishing with optimism, creativity and an open mind. In a time where the industry is facing rapid changes, particu- larly with the rise of AI and digital technologies, it’s vital to embrace change rather than fear it. It is about focusing on the incredible opportunities these changes bring, instead of being daunted by the challenges.
2 You have been in that vanguard of authors
making a huge success but not through traditional publishing methods or routes—what do you see as the reason for your success? My success, I believe, stems from a combination of factors. Firstly, the freedom of self-publishing allowed me to explore and cater to my niche without being constrained by traditional publishing expectations. This direct connection to readers, without intermediaries, provided invaluable feedback, enabling me to refine and better my work. Secondly, being proactive in leveraging social media and other marketing tools has enabled me to build a strong reader community. Authenticity and a
strong personal connection with my audience have been key.
3 You’ve been able to innovate and flex as the
market has changed—what could traditional publishers learn from you? Traditional publishers could learn the importance of agility and flex- ibility from my journey. In a rapidly changing market, quick decision- making, experimenting with new platforms and strategies, and listening directly to readers can provide a competitive edge. Moreover, the essence of personal branding and fostering a direct, genuine relationship with readers can often be more potent than large-scale marketing campaigns.
4 Do you regard yourself as an author or publisher
first—and which do you think is the more difficult role? I regard myself as an author first. It is my passion for storytelling that drove me into this world. While the role of a publisher involves crucial decision-making, strategising, and understanding market dynam- ics, I find being an author more challenging, because it requires vulnerability, and continuously evolving one’s craft in the face of both praise and criticism.
L J Ross will be delivering a keynote talk at the FutureBook Conference on 27th November
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© Ariel Grinberg
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